


The Deal

by allthingsmagical



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Bullying, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2021-02-08 06:21:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21471454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allthingsmagical/pseuds/allthingsmagical
Summary: The University sorcerer strikes a deal with the University Prince ending up with more than he bargained for.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 137





	The Deal

**Author's Note:**

> Last two merthur's I have wrote were angst and sadness, even death! I never write that! So I decided to do a happy fic with a fluffy ending :)

Twenty three year old Pendragon opened the his door and frowned. "Yes?"

"I know you don't know me, most popular person in university, people even call you Prince, and me, what people say, the sorcerer as I must use magic to know what I know."

"I know who you are Merlin."

Merlin cleared his throat. "I have come to make you an offer." at Arthur's raised eyebrow, Merlin blushed before carrying on. "Um, I can help you pass your English and Science exam you have in three weeks."

"Merlin you are what? Twenty one?"

"Twenty."

"Twenty. Look Merlin, I know how you got your name, this is the longest I have seen you go without looking at a book, but how can you possibly help me pass the exams? You are not even taking English and Science."

"Well no I won't do because what you are studying for right now... I took last year. And passed."

"Percentage?"

"One hundred."

Arthur nodded. "What do you want in return?"

"I am having a party for my twenty first, the Dean has let me have the hall where the prom is held every year."

"Right."

"The only people coming is me, my sister and your sister and her best friend. No one else will come but with you being popular-"

"If people know I am going, others will follow. Merlin this is for your twenty first birthday, won't it bother you that you will only have people there because I am there?"

"I would rather have that then get bullied as only three people turned up to my party."

"When is your party Merlin?"

"This weekend."

Arthur nodded. "I will let you know."

Merlin breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

Arthur laughed. "I haven't said yes yet."

"No but you haven't slammed the door or laughed in my face either so thank you." he said before hurrying away.

Arthur sighed as he closed his door, he needed to watch Merlin more closely. He didn't want anyone bullying him, it was only because of him that Merlin wasn't being bullied much as he promised his sister he would look out for Merlin.

* * *

The following day Arthur was on his way to class when he spotted Merlin so far in front of him. He couldn't help but smile. He wasn't even looking where he was going as his head was in a book, looking further along he saw someone smirk and stick his foot out, waiting for Merlin to walk past to trip him. "Merlin!" he shouted and looked around when everyone seemed to stop and watch as Arthur approached Merlin.

Merlin looked up. "Did I do something?"

Arthur laughed and clapped Merlin on the back. "Thank you for the invite. I will be definately be at your party. Saturday in the hall right?"

"Yeah, starts at eight."

Arthur nodded. "I will be there." he said and moved to walk past the lad who stuck his foot out. "Put that foot in or I will shove it where the sun doesn't shine."

"Hey Emrys. Where's my invite?"

Merlin blinked at a lad who had never even spoke to him. "I didn't think you would want to go."

"Yeah! We will be there."

* * *

Saturday night came and Merlin who was the only one in the hall with his sister, smiled when Morgana and Gwen hurried in. "Oh thank you Morgana."

"What for? I said I would come."

"Not that. Placing all that money behind the bar so it is a free bar all night."

Morgana frowned. "Merlin I didn't do that."

"Then who did?"

"Me."

Merlin turned at the voice and saw Arthur standing there. "What other exams can I help with?"

Arthur laughed. "None. Happy birthday Merlin."

Merlin actually laughed. "It isn't until tomorrow but thank you." he said before seeing people start to arrive so he walked off to greet them.

Morgana turned to face her brother. "You haven't said a dozen words to Merlin since he started here nearly two years ago and all of a sudden you are putting a lot of money behind the makeshift bar so Merlin doesn't have to worry about cost?"

"I can do what I like."

Gwen looked closely at Arthur. "You like Merlin."

Morgana smiled. "You are not denying it. Arthur why haven't you asked him out?"

"To save him. Look I am most popular, if I started with Merlin people will be calling him, 'oh Arthur is only with you to better his grades, he is laughing and calling you behind your back' I don't want that for Merlin, they will put him down and Merlin will be hurt and start to believe it."

Freya tutted. "Merlin doesn't listen to others like that Arthur, Merlin knows what he wants and he believes what he wants to believe and knows what others are like when making stuff up. Just grab him and kiss him."

Music blasting made all four of them jump and stopped Arthur from answering.

* * *

One hour into the party, Arthur smiled at Merlin actually laughing and joking with his friends he asked to come and make sure Merlin enjoyed his night, Lancelot, Leon, Gwaine and Percival. He made his way quietly over to the bar and slowed when he heard talking.

"Can you actually believe Emrys thinks we are staying because we want to stay for him?" the one Arthur knew as Andrew said.

"I know, I am here and staying for one thing only, free drinks, tomorrow I go back to making Emrys' life miserable. You know he still had no idea who put those water balloons in his bed. I just wished I would have been there to see it, I made sure to do it so when he just dropped on his bed, all of them popped, it must have soaked him." Andrew's friend Tony answered as he laughed.

Arthur rubbed his knuckles before making himself seen. "Hey lads, just come to get a pint." he said as he smiled thanks at the man behind the bar who handed him his pint. "Can I have another please?"

When the barman placed another pint on the counter, Arthur picked it up and with the pint in his left hand he chucked it all over Tony's trousers before placing the glass down.

"What the fuck!" Tony shouted causing the music to stop and everyone to look over.

Merlin hurried over. "What happened?" he asked.

"Pendragon here threw his drink all over me! I am fucking soaked! These are expensive trousers."

"I did not chuck my drink all over you, I am holding mine." Arthur snapped.

"You did! Andrew tell everyone what you saw." Tony cried.

Andrew opened his mouth to answer when he saw Arthur glare at him, looking across he saw Arthur's friends glaring also. "All I saw mate was you spill your drink." he lied.

"Liar! Pendragon threw the drink all over me."

"Why would I do that Tony?"

"You must have hear-" Tony stopped.

"Heard what you said? What did you say?" When all Tony did was glare, Arthur faced Andrew. "What was said Andrew?"

Andrew sighed and retold of how it was Tony that filled Merlin's bed with water balloons.

Merlin gasped. "Why? What did I ever do to you?"

"You stole him from me! He was going to be mine and then you turn up."

Merlin frowned. "Who? I am not even going out with anyone."

Tony glared. "Him!" he snapped pointing at Arthur.

"Arthur isn't even gay, he didn't even know who I was until I asked him to the party." Merlin said confused.

"You are supposed to be clever Emrys, don't tell me you have never seen him drool over you."

"I do not drool!" Arthur snapped before looking at Merlin. "This isn't how I wanted to tell you Merlin." he sighed.

"I told you what to do Arthur instead of telling him." Freya called from the crowd.

Arthur pulled Merlin close to him and kissed him full on the mouth, he started to run his hand down Merlin's side to pull him closer when he realised something. Merlin wasn't kissing him back. He pulled back to see Merlin looking hurt. "Merlin?"

"How dare you. I thought you were different Arthur, but you playing with my feelings, mocking me, you are just as bad as the rest of them!" Merlin snapped before looking around at everyone. "Leave, now. Party is over."

When no one moved, Merlin raised his hands so far and let everyone see his eyes glow gold. "I said, leave. Now!"

Everyone started to rush to leave first, Merlin could hear talking among them. "Emrys has magic! Did anyone know?"

Merlin looked around and saw Freya, Morgana, Gwen, Arthur, Lancelot, Percival and Gwaine still there. "I said leave."

"No." Arthur said. "This isn't a game or trick Merlin, this wasn't a ploy to hurt you, that kiss was real. I do like you Merlin."

"No you don't. How could you. Look at you, then look at me."

"I do look at you and I see a gorgeous man, I look at myself and see a fool for not asking you out and instead just watching you from afar."

Morgana stepped forward. "It's true Merlin. Arthur himself admitted only tonight that he has wanted to ask you out but if you went out people will pick on you all the more, laugh at you, saying he was only with you to better his grades and was worried you would start to believe it."

"So I stayed away and just looked after you from a distance, stopped as much bullying as I could."

"That was not for you to decide Arthur, I am a big boy I do not need you to decide what is best for me." Merlin said before walking closer to Arthur and getting in his face. "If you didn't watch me from afar and actually stepped up and got to know me you would have known I don't give a fuck what people say. I don't let them get to me I make my own choices." he snapped before leaving the hall, leaving Arthur and the others to watch him go.

Arthur turned to face the others. "Who knew of Merlin's magic besides me and Freya?"

Morgana frowned. "Me and Gwen knew, Arthur you knew? How?"

"I have seen him use it when I was wathcing him when he thought no one was looking at him." he turned to his friends. "Any of you have a problem with Merlin having magic then I have a problem with you."

Lancelot shook his head. "Come on Arthur, you should know us by now."

Outside the door, Merlin smiled at Arthur's protectiveness before heading back to his dorm.

* * *

The next morning a consant knocking woke Arthur who rubbed the sleep from his eyes before getting out of bed, running his hand through his hair making it more messy he yawned as he made his way over to the door, not realising he was only clad in boxer shorts he pulled the door open. "What?" he snapped before blinking at who was standing there. "Merlin.."

"Good morning Arthur."

"What are you doing here? Not that I am complaining."

"Our deal. You came to my party, so I help you with your exam."

Arthur nodded. "Come on in."

Merlin smiled and sat himself down. "Now then Science first."

"No. Wash and dress first."

Merlin looked Arthur up and down before stopping his eyes on Arthur's groin, feeling himself go hot in the face as he saw Arthur start to get hard, looking up he saw Arthur smiling at him.

"I won't be long, my books are there." Arthur said, pointing to his desk before disappearing into the bathroom to wash and change.

* * *

Thirty minutes later had Merlin sat cross legged on Arthur's bed with Arthur sat at his desk writing, while waiting for Arthur, Merlin had wrote twenty questions and told Arthur he had twenty minutes.

"Done!"

Merlin looked up and smiled. "Okay let us see what I need to work with." he said and took the sheet off Arthur and looked at the answers. "This is actually not bad Arthur, you got sixteen right, although the answers need more explanations."

"So how are you going to help me get better then?"

Merlin frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well if I get a question right you do something that urges me to do more better."

Merlin laughed at Arthur's smirk. "How about I forget about what you did last night?"

"No! I don't want you to forget about our first kiss. That was not only my first kiss with you, it was my first kiss with a bloke, you are not taking that away from me." Arthur, not leaving his desk chair, wheeled over to his bed to get closer to Merlin. "Merlin you were my first kiss with a bloke, I also want you for my last kiss."

"Last kiss with a bloke?"

"Last kiss with anyone." Arthur whispered.

Merlin smiled and gently placed his hand on the blonds cheek. "One item of clothing to be removed for every right answer, clothng goes back on with every wrong answer."

Arthur smiled and gave Merlin a quick kiss. "Deal."

* * *

One hour later found Merlin sat on Arthur's bed wearing only boxer shorts and a top, he looked across at the blond who had also stripped to just his boxer shorts. Arthur had said for every one he got wrong what Merlin would put on, Arthur would take off.

"Come on Arthur, you should know this, true or false?"

Arthur looked closley at Merlin. "True."

Merlin smiled and took his top off.

Arthur laughed. "Yes!" he said as he knelt on the bed and grabbing Merlin's legs, pulled until the brunet was layng on his back and then placed his knees either side of Merlin, straddling him. "Got you." he whispered as he moved down to kiss Merlin.

Merlin panted when Arthur pulled away. "We can't Arthur, we need to study."

"What for?"

"Your exam."

Arthur smiled. "You mean the ones I took two weeks ago and got a ninety eight percent on?" he asked, smirking at Merlin's eyes widening before closing the gap once more.

_ **The end.** _

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Comment or Kudos?


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